Faultfinder for internal-combustion engines.



I). P. F. GHADIALI.

FAULTFINDER FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 30. I912.

Patented June 29,

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

ammo a 5/) 22 7 D. P. F. GHADIALI.

FAULTFINDER FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION enemas. APPLICATION FILED OCT. 30, I912.

Patented June 29, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEETZ.

DINSHAl-I PESTANJ'I FRAMJ'I GHADIALI, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

FAULTFINDER FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES.

T all whom it may concern Be it known that I, DINSIIAI-I PESTANJI FRAMJI GHADIALI, a subject of the Emperor of India, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Faultfinders for Internal- Combustion Engines, of which the following is a specification.

The resent-invention relates to a fault finder or internal combustion engines by means of which an engineer or chauffeur can accurately and quickly locate the exact trouble with an engine which is not running properly. 1

The object of the invention is to provide a fault finder of this character which is strong and compact in its construction, which can be readily applied to an internal combustion engine without interfering in any manner with the operation thereof, and which will give reliable signals of a character to indicate and enable the chauffeur to quickly locate any trouble with the en- 1116. 0 With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel combinations and arrangements of the parts as will more fully appear as the description proceeds, the novel features thereof being pointed out in the appended claims.

For a full understanding of the invention, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view, partly in section, of a fault finder for internal combustion engines embodying the improvements contemplated by the present invention. Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic view showing the preferable arrangement of circuits when the device is applied to the ignition system of a four cylinder engine. Fig. 3 is an end view of the base block showing the means employed for retaining the vacuum tubes in their operative relation to the spark tubes. Fig. 4: is a top plan view of the base part of the device, and fully exposing the manner of mounting the paired vacuum and spark tubes. Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view through the lower part of the device, the line of section including one of the duplex indicator units consisting of a vacuum tube and a spark tube assembled in paired Specification of Letters Patent.-

latented June 29, 1915.

' Application filed October so, 1912. Serial No. 728,703.

relation and included in the same circuit connections, so as to represent one cylinder in the firing group. Fig. 6 is a detail perspective view of one of the duplex indicator units showing the two tubes which consti tute the same in separated relation to illustrate the individual formation thereof.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated 1n all the views of the drawings by the same reference characters.

Specifically describing the present embodiment of the invention, the numeral 1 designates a stock or base which is shown as mounted upon a bottom piece 2. The opposite ends of the base 1 at the top thereof are rabbeted as indicated at 3, and the angle strips 4 and 5 are seated within these rabbeted portions 3. A series of longitudinal pockets 6 are formed in the upper face of the base 1, one of these pockets being provided for each cylinder of the engine in con nection with which the fault finder is de signed to be used. In the present instance, the ends of these longitudinal pockets or depressions 6 are shown as communicating with the rabbeted portions 3, and as being closed by the flanges of the angle strips 4 and 5. These angle strips 4 and 5 are placed in electrical connection with each other by means of a conducting wire 7 which extends along one side of the base 1.

Each of the open longitudinal pockets 6 in the base is adapted to receive therein, what may be termed, a duplex visual indicator unit which is intended to correspond to one of the firing units (cylinder and spark plug) of the internal combustion engine, and which indicator unit consists of a spark-gap and glow-element which may be conveniently embodied in two tubes, one of which is a spark-tube and the other of which is a glow-tube. These two tubes are assembled in paired axial relation and operate separately and combined as hereinafter particularly pointed out. The spark-tube (18) will be presently more particularly described, and considering at this point the glow-tube, it it is to be noted that according to the present invention this tube is a closed and hermetically sealed glass tube containing a certain high dry vacuum in order to produce a high-vacuum condenser effect when the electrodes thereof are char ed with the current of a circuit onto whic the fault finder device is shunted.

.These characteristics of the-'glow-tube or ing the glass after the required dry high vacuum has been produced therein, and these pointed ends are shown as pro ecting through openings 10 in tongues 4 which are formed in connection with the angle strip 4: by the vertical slits 11 in the upwardly projecting flange thereof. These tongues 4? can be readily bent outwardly or inwardly for the purpose of enabling the tubes to be readily assembled. A termlnal 12 extends through the opposite end of each of the vacuumtubes 8 into the interior of the tube, the outer ends of the said terminals being connected to wires 13 which are looped to provide the sparking terminals 14: and then pass downwardly t rough opemngs 15 in the base 1 to the bottom thereof. At the bottom of the base these wires 13 are connected to the binding posts 16, the said binding posts also having the various lead wires 17 connected thereto. I

Arranged within the opposite end of each of the longitudinal pockets or recesses 6 1s the glass spark-tube or casing 18, the nner end of the said glass tube or casing receiving the tapered end of the vacuum tube and fitting snugly against the same. It Wlll be observed, however, that the edge of the glass tube 18 may be notched at 19 so as to proylde an outlet for the wire 13 and prevent in ury to the said wire. Projecting into the outer end of each of the glass tubes or casings 18 is a sparking terminal 20 which is arranged in cooperative relation to the before mentioned sparking terminal 14. In the present instance these sparking terminals 20 are threaded within the vertical flange of the angle strip 5 and pass through the contracted ends 18 of the glass tubes 18. Owing to the threaded connection between the sparking terminals 20 and the angle strip 5, the said sparking terminals 20 can be adjusted toward or away from the sparking terminals 14, jam nuts 21 being provided for holding the terminals 20 in an adjusted position. It may be stated at this point that the sparking terminals 14 and 20 are always sufficiently far apart to offer a greater resistance than is offered by the spark plugs of the engine, under normal compression conditions.

The two anglestrips 1 and 5 are in electrical connectlon with each other through the medium of the wire 7 and one of the tubes 18 of the fault finder.

planation of the glow-tubes or the vacuum with clips 24 by means of which they can be readily and detachably connected into the ignition system of the engine.

'Fig. 2 illustrates diagrammatically a practical manner of connecting the fault finder 'to a four cylinder internal combustion engine, and in this connection it will, of course, be understood that the device can be readily adapted and used in connection with an internal combustion engine embodying any number of firing units or cylinders. Referring to the diagram shown in Fig. 2, it will be seen that the generator or source of electrical energy G has one terminal thereof connected to the frame at 26, while the opposite terminal thereof is connected tothe usual distributer 27. The usual conductor wires a lead from the distributer 27 to the individual spark plugs 28, the latter being connected in the usual metallic circuit through the engine frame as indicated at 29. This is the ordinary electrical ignition system for a four cylinder engine in which a jump-spark is utilized v for igniting the charges. In applying the fault finder to the engine, the four lead wires 17 are placed in electrical connection with the main conductors a for the respective spark plugs 28, while the lead wire 23 is connected to the frame or metallic return as at 30. It will thus be seen that the fault finder is merely shunted onto the main circuit and does not interfere in any maner with the operation of the en e when the engine is running under norma conditions, nor does it, under normal conditions, carry any of the current from the main circuit. Also the arrangement of the indicators responds to the firing order of the.

engine cylinders.

The resistance offered to the current in passing through the spark tubes 18 of the fault finder is greater than the resistance of the usual spark plugs 28 of the engine, so

that when the spark plugs are properly con-' nected and in proper condition, the current will follow the course of least resistance and pass through the spark plugs 28 of the engine instead of passing through the spark In further extubes, herein broadly termed glow-tubes, it may be stated that in the manufacture of these tubes a fine grade of glass is selected, such as uranium glass, and of a proper thickness so as to not only effectually perform the functions of a dielectric between the metallic electrodes 9 and 12, but which will maintain a perfect seal for the high dry-vacuum and which will also possess and exhibit marked fluorescence under the etheric and electrical excitement caused by the inductive action antes of the high potential currents across the dielectric. The electrical action in the vacuum or glow-tube is substantially that of a high vacuum condenser.

In operation the interrupted high tension currents cause the glass to fluoresce, which fluorescence is exhibited in a normally greenish blue glow, which, when dulled, becomes bluish violet without green. The reason why the vacuum tube changes color may be explained as follows, viz.: So long as the engine.

The combination of a glow tube and a when the motor runs slowly and the glow till tube of the same unit will also flash; and in a condition where the plug points are eX- cessively far apart, the sparking side of the unit will spark continuously when the motor is accelerated, and the glow tube side will also flash. In this connection it will be observed that as long as the generator electricity is present, the glow tubes will necessarily flash whether the charge from the engine is fired or not, but the difierence in potential caused by improperly spaced spark plug points would not be clearly indicated by the differencev in the shade of the glow in the tubes, and consequently the spark gap side of each indicator unit must, of necessity, be relied upon for positively giving this indication simultaneously with the indication of the glow tube that the generated current is present.

As indicated upon the drawing, the vacuum tubes 8 are arranged at one side of the instrument, while the spark tubes 18 are arranged at the opposite side of the instrument. On running the engine, or cranking up, the engine if. it be totally stalled, what may be termed'primary and secondary signals are flashed. The primary signal is the one observed when all of the lead wires are connected as previously described. The secondary signal is the one observed after a particular spark plug has been disconnected from the current generating system of the car, the lead wire of the fault finder being maintained in connection with the current generating system as before. The signal given'by the sparking tubes 18 is a snappy white spark, while the signal givenby the vacuum tubes 8 is a quiet normally greenish blue glow which when dull becomes bluish violet without green. A spark as a primary signal in the spark tube 18 is invariably the indication of fault in the spark plug to which the spark tube is connected. The appearance of similar primary and secondary signals in two sets of the indicators, one cylinder remote in the firing order from the other, is invariably the indication offault in the timer or contact breaker section of the current generator. Primary and secondary signals showing perfectly normal electrical ignition system, accompanied by irregular working of the engine, is invariably the indication of fault in the gas plant. A blinking glow in the vacuum tube as a primary or secondary signal is invariably the indication of faulty or loose connection. Primary and secondary signals in contradiction to the regular firing order of the motor, attended by irregular running of the engine is invariably the indication of wrongly connected spark plugs. A secondary glow in the vacuum tube 8 is normally somewhat brighter and more greenish than the primary glow, and absence of this difference when the motor runs regularly or absence of primary glow when the firing is perfect, is an indication that the fault finding instrument is out of order, thus showing its own fault.

To clearly illustrate the intimate interrelation of the glow tube and the spark gap, and the manner in which the primary and secondary signals are tabulated for commercial purposes, the following tabulations are given:

First, in testing the electrical generating system: Disconnect the spark plugs, connect their cables to the four clips, and ground the fifth clip; turn the crank and look into the camera for the signals.

1. A regular succession of white sparks accompanied by a colored flash in each tube=perfect electrical generating system.

2. Sparks missing in a tube that section faulty in distributor.

3. Sparks skipping in two tubes faulty armature bearings.

4. Sparks missing in two tubes regularly faulty contact-breaker.

5. All tubes flashing without sparks, or with irregular sparks-:weak electricity.

6. Darkness in a tube no electricity in that cable.

7. Darkness in all tubes dead electrical generating system.

8. Sparks in any tube without fiash:Din-

trical generating systemis perfect, connect up the spark plugs, and hook onto them the four clips also. Then run the motor, or turn the crank. Observe the signals: 2

9. All connected tubes flashing withou sparks, in the regular firing order=perfect spark plugs.

10. With signal 9 and mechanical parts right, should motor still run irregularly faulty gas plant.

11. All connected tubes flashing wlthout sparks, not in regular firing order=wrong connections.

12. A tube flashing and darkening irregularly=leakage of electricity; plug points close or dirty.

13. A dark tube that plug short-circuited.

14:. A blinking tube:loose connections.

15. A tube flashing very dull, in comparison with other tubes serious loss of com pression in that cylinder.

16. A tube sparking when the motor runs slowly its plug points somewhat apart.

17. A tube sparking continuously when the motor is accelerated:its plug points fa apart.

In order to enable the signals to be readily detected and distinguished during the day or in a strong light, a suitable hood 31 may be applied to the base 1. This hood tapers toward the outer end thereof where it is provided with a hinged top 32 having view openings therein, the said view openings being providedwith suitable eye pieces The base of the hood 31 may be provided upon the interior thereof with the transverse strips 3& and 34* which fit over the top of the base 1 so as to hold the spark tubes 18 and vacuum tubes 8 securely against displacement, and form the necessary right and left windows so that the operator can easily determine whether the signal which he observes is given by a spark tube or a vacuum tube.

Itwill be understood that various changes in the form, proportion, and minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention, as for instance, even the central strip 34: could be dispensed with and the duplex visual indicator unit be used with a single window.

Theindications then would be by means of I darkness, glow and spark.

I claim: 1. A fault finder for internal combustion engines, including a duplex visual indicator terminal connections.

' 2. A: fault finder for internal combustion engines, including a duplex visual indicator unit, said unit consisting of an air-gap sparking device, and a glow element acting as a condenser, said device and said element having common terminal connections.

3.: A'fault finder for internal combustion engines, including a duplex visual indicator unit consisting of a sparking-tube and a iglow-tube separably assembled in paired reation, and common terminal connections for both tubes.

4. A fault finder for internal combustion engines including a duplex visual indicator unit consisting of a nonsealed air gap sparktube and a vacuum glow-tube having a condenser elfect, said .two tubes being assembled in pairedrelation, and common terminal connections for both tubes.

Y 5. A fault finder for internal combustion engines including'a duplex visual indicator unit consisting of an air gap sparktube and a vacuum glow-tube, of condenser construction, said two tubes being separably assembled in paired relation, and common terminal connections for both tubes.

6. A fault finder for internal combustion engines including a duplex visual indicator unit consisting of a nonsealed spark-tube and a sealed glow-tube, of condenser construction and containinga high dry vacuum, said two tubes being assembled in paired relation, and common terminal connections for both tubes.

7 A fault finder for internal combustion engines including a duplex visual indicator unit consisting of a spark-tube and a vacuum glow-tube, of condenser construction, said two tubes being arranged in paired relation, and said glow-tube having a terminal with an exterior point that projects into the spark-tube and constitutes one of the spark terminals thereof.

8. A fault finder for internal combustion engines, including a vacuum tube having a single terminal projecting into one end thereof and provided with an exterior in- Szulated jacket of conducting material, a spark terminal projecting from the vacuum tube, a conductor leading to the terminal 1 and spark terminal, a spark tube fitting ternal combustion engine. unit, the said unit consisting of a sparking 9. A fault finder for internal combustion engines including a dielectric vacuum tube menses interior terminal which extends through the tapered end thereof and also with an exterior jacket of conducting material, a spark terminal projecting exteriorly from the tapered end of the vacuum tube, a conwire in connection with the before mentioned conductor, and a second lead wire in connection with the jacket andthe second spark terminal, the said lead wires being adapted to be employed for shunting the apparatus into the ignition system of an internal combustion engine.

10. A fault finder for internal combustion engines including a dielectric vacuum tube having a terminal projecting into one end thereof and provided with an exterior jacket of conducting material, a spark terminal projecting from the end of the vacuum tube, a conductor leading to the terminal and spark terminal, a tube having an open end which fits against the end of the vacuum tube and receives the spark terminal within the same, the edge of the tube being notched to receive the conductor, a second co'o'perating spark terminal projecting into the interior of the said tube from the opposite end thereof, a lead wire in connection with the before mentioned conductor, and a lead wire in connection with the jacket and second spark terminal, said lead wires being adapted to be employed for shunting the apparatus into the ignition system of an internal combustion engine.

11. A fault finder for internal combustion engines including a base, a dielectric vacuum tube upon the base, said vacuum tube having a terminal projecting into the interior thereof and being provided with a jacket of conducting material, a tube upon the base, cooperating sparking terminals within the tube, a conductor leading to one of the spark terminals and the terminal of the vacuum tube, angle brackets upon the base for engaging the tubes, and a lead wire in connection with the before mentioned conductor, and a lead wire in connection with the jacket and second spark terminal, said lead wires being adapted to be employed for shunting the apparatus into the ignition system of an internal combustion engine.

' 12. A fault finder for internal combustion engines including a base block provided with a depression, a dielectric vacuum tube arranged within the depression and provided with a terminal projecting into the interior thereof and also with an exterior jacket of conducting material, a tube arranged within the depression of the base and fitting against the vacuum tube, a pair of coiiperating spark terminals .within the tube a conductor leading to one of the spark terminals and the. terminal of the vacuum tube, angle strips at the ends of the depression for engaging the tubes, a lead wire in connection with the before mentioned conductor, and a second lead wire in connection withthe jacket and second spark terminal, the said lead wires being adapted to be employed for shunting the apparatus into the ignition system of an internal combustion engine.

13. A fault finder for internal combustion engines including a base provided in the top thereof with a depression, a dielectric vacuum tube seated within the depression and provided with a terminal projecting into the interior thereof and also provided with an exterior jacket of conducting material, a tube arranged within the depression of the base and fitting against the vacuum tube, a pair of spark terminals within the tube, a conductor leading to one of the spark terminals and the terminal of the vacuum tube, a hood applied to the base, means upon the hood for retaining the tubes within the depression of the base and forming windows thereby, a lead wire in connection with the -before mentioned conductor, and a lead wire in connection with the jacket and the second spark terminal, said lead wires being adapted to be employed for shunting the apparatus into the ignition system of an internal combustion engine.

14. A fault finder for internal combustion engines including a base provided in the top thereof with a longitudinal depression, a

dielectric vacuum tube seated within one end of the depression and formed with tapered ends, one of the ends having a terminal projecting into the interior thereof while the opposite end thereof is provided with an outside jacket of conducting material, a spark terminal projecting from the end of the vacuum tube, a tube fitted within the opposite end of the depression and having an open end thereof seated against the tapered end of the vacuum tube and receiving the spark terminal within the same, the op posite end of the tube being contracted, an angle bracket mounted upon the base at each end of the longitudinal depression, one of the angle brackets being formed with an opening to receive the tapered end of the vacuum tube, a spark terminal carried by the opposite angle bracket and projecting through the contracted end of the tube into the interior thereof, a'conductor leading to the terminal of the vacuum tube and the first mentioned spark terminal, a hood applied to the base and provided with members extending over the base to retain the tubes in position within the depression, a I

lead wire in connection with the before men- In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my tioned ponductg'r, and 'a. lead Wlle 1n c0nnecslgnature in the presence of two witnesses. tlon with the Jacket and second spark ter- DINSM PESTANH FRAMJI GEADIALL minal, saidlead -wires being adapted to be 5 employed fo -shunting the apparatus into I \vitnessesz' the ignition system of an internal combus- I MANEK DINSHAH GHADIALI, I

tion engine.

BERTHA SCHWARTZ. 

